The present invention relates to a self-contained, floor level waste collection and disposal system for toilets and a discharge pump specifically designed for use with that floor level waste collection and disposal system for toilets.
Self-contained, floor level waste collection and disposal units for toilets have particular utility for bathrooms in locations not easily modified for use with below floor level piping commonly utilized with bathroom fixtures. For example, such units are particularly useful when a bathroom is added to an existing basement or to an existing concrete slab. Because of the difficulty in construction as well as the expense associated with installation of below floor level bathroom piping in these circumstances, these self-contained, floor level bathroom facilities, along with the piping utilized therewith, are necessarily located above the level of the floor or concrete slab.
Conventional self-contained, floor level bathroom waste collection and disposal units for toilets include a conventional toilet, secured on top of a floor level tank for receipt of waste from the toilet as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,757. While such self-contained, floor level toilet facilities can be useful, certain inherent disadvantages exist because of the requirement that the toilet itself be located above floor level on top of the waste collection tank.
A design for a waste collection and disposal system, which is located behind the toilet, is disclosed by SFA Saniflo, Inc. Pumping Systems and is referred to as the “Saniplus” system. The “Saniplus” system utilizes a specially designed toilet basin containing a rear discharge outlet located in a position that is significantly higher than is utilized by conventional, rear discharge toilets. This added height to the discharge outlet increases the volume of waste that can be received in the waste collection tank during each flushing cycle. The pump that is utilized with the “Saniplus” system to discharge the waste from the waste collection tank is a conventional, macerating pump, which merely pumps the waste out through discharge piping without further processing of the waste. This pump is located within the waste collection tank, making repair of that pump inconvenient.
Notwithstanding the presence of existing, above floor level toilet systems, a need still exists to provide an improved floor level bathroom waste collection and disposal tank which operates efficiently with a conventional, rear outlet toilet. There is a further need for a specially designed, floor level waste discharge tank, which encourages the flow of bathroom waste from the inlet opening in the tank to a grinding and pumping system for grinding the bathroom waste prior to its discharge to an outside facility. There is also a need for a floor level, waste discharge tank for receiving waste from a conventional, rear outlet toilet which is both lightweight and mechanically strong, yet contains handling features permitting easy transportation and installation. It has also been discovered that the pump and motor for this system should be placed at a location that is easily accessible for servicing.
The objects and features of the present invention mentioned throughout the application will become apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following detailed description, drawings and claims. The description, along with the accompanying drawings, provides a selected example of construction of the device to illustrate the invention but does not place a limitation on the scope of the claims of the invention.